Hitching device for vehicles.



No. 838,932. PATENTED DEC. 18

O. T. ADAMS 6; J. J. BERRY.

HITGHING DEVICE FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED 001 .21, 1905.

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ca, WASHINGTON, b. c.

UNrTED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

OMER T. ADAMS AND JOSEPH J. BERRY, OF EMMETT, IDAHO, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO GEORGE H. BAKER, OF DUBOIS, IDAHO.

HITCHING DEVICE FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 18, 1906.

Application filed October 21,1905. Serial No. 283,843.

To coZ-Z whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, OMER T. ADAMs and J OSEPH J. BERRY, citizens of the United States, residing at Emmett, in the county of Canyon and State of Idaho, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hitching Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hitching devices designed for application to vehicles, and has for its objects to produce a comparatively simple inexpensive device of this character which may be readily installed for use, one whereby the draft-animal will be automatically hitched when the vehicle is brought to a stand, thus to prevent runaways, and one wherein the animal will when the driver becomes seated in the vehicle be automatically unhit ched for unrestrained travel.

With these and other objects in view the invention comprises the novel features of construction and combination of parts more fully hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vehicle equipped with a device embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the vehicle-axle and adjacent operating mechanism. Fig. 3 is a detail front elevation of the vehicle-seat. Fig. 4 is a detail view looking at the inner face of the drum and showing the pawl-andratchet connection between the same and the drum-shaft.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a vehicle equipped witha seat 2, having'a ver tically-movable hinged section 3, there being included in the runnin ear of the vehicle a rear axle 4, provided with transportingwheels 5. These parts, which are conventionally shown herein may all be of the usual or any appropriate construction and material whereby they will serve in practice to perform their ordinary functions.

Attached to the aXle 4 is a pair of forwardly-projecting horizontal bearing mem bers or arms 6 and 7, in the outer ends of which there is journaled for rotation a shaft 8, adapted for lateral movement at one end in a slot 9, provided in the arm 6, there being fixed on the laterally-movable end of the shaft 8 a pinion 10 and loosely mounted on its other end a drum 11, engaged with and for winding a hitching element or strap 12,

the drum being operatively engaged with the shaft by means" of spring-actuated pawls 13, fixed to the latter and adapted to engage ratchet-teeth 14, provided on the drum.

It will be noted that the pawl-and-ratchet connection is such as to permit free independent rotation of the drum in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.

Journaled at its end in the arms 6 and 7 is a rotary cam-shaft 15, having fixed thereon a cam member or arm 16, provided with an upwardly and forwardly inclined slot or camway 17, through which the shaft 8 extends, there being fixed on the shaft a normally vertical arm or lever 18, engaged at its upper end with one end of a connecting element or rod 19, the forward end of which is engaged with a bell-crank lever 20, pivoted at 21 beneath the vehicle-body and adapted for operation through the medium of a vertical movable pressure member or rod 22, arranged to bear at its upper end beneath section 3 of the seat and maintained in normal raised position by means of a spring 23, while coiled upon the shaft 15 is a torsionspring 24, having one end engaged with the bearing-arm 7 and its other end fixed to the shaft. The spring 24 tends to rotate the shaft 15 rearwardly and serves to maintain the arm 18 and cam member 16 in norma position.

Detachably secured to the hub of wheel 5 by means of set-screws or other clamping devices is a gear-ring 26, toothed for engagement with the pinion 10 to impart motion to the shaft 8 for winding the strap 12 upon the drum 11.

In practice the hitching element 12 is partly wound on the drum 11 and engaged at its free end with the bit-ring by means of a snap-hook or in any other suitable manner, and when the vehicle is brought to rest and the driver rises from the seat 2 the section 3 is raised by the rod 22 under the influence of spring 23, thereby rocking the bell-crank lever 20 on its pivot to impart rearward longitudinal movement to the element 19 and permitting the spring 24 to rotate the shaft 15 for swinging the cam member 16 upward,

this action serving, owing to the shaft 8 traveling in the slot 17 to move the adjacent end of shaft 8 for bringing the pinion 10 into mesh with the gear member 26. Under these conditions if the draft-animal moves the vehicle forward shaft 8 will be rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, thereby winding the element 12 on the drum 11 and exerting rearward traction on the bit for checking the animal, which in order to relieve the strain exerted by strap 12 will back a few steps, thus imparting reverse movement to the shaft 8, thereby rotating the drum 11 forwardly and slacking the checking element. As soon, however, as the driver is again seated in the vehicle the rod 22 will be depressed by means of the seat-sec tion 3, thus rocking the lever on its pivot and exerting a traction on the element 19 for rotating the shaft 15 forwardly, thus causing the cam member 16 to swing downwardly and move the pinion out of engagement with the gear, whereupon the drum 11 may rotate freely to relieve the strain on the element 12 to uncheck the draft-animal. It will be ob served that under this construction the parts will when the vehicle is brought to rest and the driver rises from the seat be automatically set for checking the animal to prevent the latter from running away, and, further, that the parts of the mechanism are automatically disengaged when the driver is seated.

In order to lock the parts,when desired, in non-checking condition, there is provided on the seat-section 3 a latching member or hook 27, adapted for engagement with a keeper 28 to secure the seat-section against movement and maintain the rod 22 in depressed position.

From the foregoing it is apparent that we produce a simple device admirably adapted for the attainment of the ends in view, it

being understood that minor changes in thedetails herein set forth may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention'.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim. as new is I In a device of the class described, a vehicle having a transporting-wheel, a gear fixed for rotation on the latter, a rotary shaft sustained for lateral movement and having a pinion designed for en agement with the gear, a drum carried by tile shaft, a checking element connected with and adapted to wind upon the drum, a rotary cam-shaft sustained adjacent the drum-shaft, a cam member fixed on the cam-shaft and connected for moving the drum-shaft to effect engagement or disengagement of the pinion, a seat having a movable section, and means operated by the movement of said section for rotating the cam-shaft.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

OMER T. ADAMS. JOSEPH J. BERRY.

Witnesses:

E. E. STANLEY, W. B. BANKS. 

